Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 from 8am to Noon at Griggs Schooler Gordon Funeral Directors; 5400 Bell St in Amarillo. A graveside service will follow on Wednesday afternoon at 2pm at Llano Cemetery, 2900 S. Hayes with Gemma Reyes officiating. You may view the service via our livestream at www.facebook.com/griggsschoolergordon, or by clicking "Join Live-stream" below.
Elise was born to Charles and Anna Grubham on April 18, 1924 in Grand Haven, Michigan. She was raised in Grand Haven along with her other seven siblings during the Great Depression. She spent her free time swimming in Lake Michigan and fostering her love of music and music performance. It seemed only a natural course since her father was employed at the Wurlitzer Piano Company.
Elise graduated from high school in 1942, initially employed in the war industry supporting WWII, and then later enlisted in the Navy WAVES in May 1944. She served a Radioman Third Class until her discharge in March 1946 being stationed in Chicago, IL, Bremerton, WA, and San Francisco, CA.
In 1946, she met her soon to be husband Wiley Smithson, Jr. in the San Francisco Bay Area shortly after his discharge from the US Navy in April 1946. They were married on August 3, 1946 in Grand Haven, Michigan and returned to Texas to begin their life together. They lived in the Texas cities of Hillsboro, Breckinridge, Kermit, and finally settled in Borger raising four children. She lived in Borger until January 2000 when she moved to Amarillo. In March 2015, she was admitted to Park Central and then transferred to Sycamore facilities where she received the most gracious and loving care from the dedicated staff for Alzheimers. The family wishes to express our deepest appreciation to all of the staff who have cared for our mother during her time of need.
Elise was preceded in death by her twin daughters Elyse Nadine and Mary Elizabeth in 1955, husband Wiley Smithson Jr. in 1990; her sisters Mildred, Charlotte, Geraldine, Esther, and Virginia and her brothers Kenneth and Charles. Those left to cherish her memories are her son Keith Smithson of Albuquerque, New Mexico, daughters Lucille Coggins and her husband Michael of Stephenville, Texas, Barbara Campbell and her husband Mikel of Amarillo, Texas, and Alyce Ashcraft and her husband Glen of Lubbock, Texas; 6 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
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